The only user comment prior to mine (by Henrik Larsen)was the reason I became interested enough in this "sword and sandal" pic to obtain a copy.
I found the whipping scenes mildly interesting, just from the standpoint of how raw they seemed and how believable the cries of pain were.
But there is much more of interest, IMO, than these very mild S&M type scenes.
This is a peplum not about mythological strong men, but about the history of the Roman Empire at a key point in its prolonged fall.
The characters Galla Placidia (Daniella Rocca), Emperor Honorius, Consul Olympius, and the Visigoth chieftains Alarich and Ataulf are actually historically accurate (well, to the extent that they existed and more or less played something close to the roles they are given in this movie).
Don't misunderstand me: I am no historian but I have gleaned from Internet sites enough of the history purportedly portrayed in the movie to reasonably conclude that the screen writers did at least the basic homework.
To be sure, much of the story detail is hokum, but even that is very entertaining hokum. Nevertheless, you will be probably surprised to know that the emperor's sister did in fact marry the Visigoth leader Ataulf (boy, wouldn't you like to be a fly on the wall in their bedroom?).
Everybody does a marvelous job in their characterizations -- even the dubbed dialog is quite good.
The actor portraying Honorius (Emperor of the West) plays it astonishingly fey and is delightfully scatterbrained in comparison to the really sharp and coldly calculating Galla Placidia. Daniella Rocca is certainly sexy, but I found her rather matronly (even in the very brief red hot Roman bikini she wears in her big dance number), especially compared to an absolute gorgeous and buxom Sabina (Evi Marandi), her servant girl (read 'slave'). It's no wonder that GP's boyfriend (the hunky Anthony Steel as the straight arrow Consul Olympius) eventually falls for Sabina when GP forces her to marry the general for political reasons.
On a different note, Mario Scaccia playing King Alarich looks like he walked off the set of a Monty Python sketch, looking as if any minute he might lay an egg. I crack up every time I see him for the first time in the movie. Ataulf is played by Robert Alda, and it is quite interesting to look at the man and realize he was Alan Alda's father.
The movie is full of sharp dialog and characters that you immediately like, hate, or feel sympathy for.
The dialog between Galla Placidia and Ataulf at the conclusion of the pic is just priceless.
There is a load of treasure in this rather obscure title. I unreservedly recommend it to anyone who loves good peplum.
I found the whipping scenes mildly interesting, just from the standpoint of how raw they seemed and how believable the cries of pain were.
But there is much more of interest, IMO, than these very mild S&M type scenes.
This is a peplum not about mythological strong men, but about the history of the Roman Empire at a key point in its prolonged fall.
The characters Galla Placidia (Daniella Rocca), Emperor Honorius, Consul Olympius, and the Visigoth chieftains Alarich and Ataulf are actually historically accurate (well, to the extent that they existed and more or less played something close to the roles they are given in this movie).
Don't misunderstand me: I am no historian but I have gleaned from Internet sites enough of the history purportedly portrayed in the movie to reasonably conclude that the screen writers did at least the basic homework.
To be sure, much of the story detail is hokum, but even that is very entertaining hokum. Nevertheless, you will be probably surprised to know that the emperor's sister did in fact marry the Visigoth leader Ataulf (boy, wouldn't you like to be a fly on the wall in their bedroom?).
Everybody does a marvelous job in their characterizations -- even the dubbed dialog is quite good.
The actor portraying Honorius (Emperor of the West) plays it astonishingly fey and is delightfully scatterbrained in comparison to the really sharp and coldly calculating Galla Placidia. Daniella Rocca is certainly sexy, but I found her rather matronly (even in the very brief red hot Roman bikini she wears in her big dance number), especially compared to an absolute gorgeous and buxom Sabina (Evi Marandi), her servant girl (read 'slave'). It's no wonder that GP's boyfriend (the hunky Anthony Steel as the straight arrow Consul Olympius) eventually falls for Sabina when GP forces her to marry the general for political reasons.
On a different note, Mario Scaccia playing King Alarich looks like he walked off the set of a Monty Python sketch, looking as if any minute he might lay an egg. I crack up every time I see him for the first time in the movie. Ataulf is played by Robert Alda, and it is quite interesting to look at the man and realize he was Alan Alda's father.
The movie is full of sharp dialog and characters that you immediately like, hate, or feel sympathy for.
The dialog between Galla Placidia and Ataulf at the conclusion of the pic is just priceless.
There is a load of treasure in this rather obscure title. I unreservedly recommend it to anyone who loves good peplum.